Back?

Well, it's been almost a year since I put anything on this blog. Strange enough to say but not much has really happened in that whole time except for the last 6 months. So here's a quick update.

September 09

• I finally quit working the door at Estelle's in progress of moving to Las Vegas.
• I had a going away party at Estelle's that was very successful. If you were there I thank you and I swear, I am leaving some time. (Technically I did leave. I just haven't made it to where I want to be yet, physically or mentally.)
  
• I packed up all my stuff and moved to the U of Woo to prep for the move to Vegas.

October 09

• I decided to finally get my teeth fixed. I started the process to get them removed.
• I spend time in and around Dixon with old friends.

November 09

• More appointments are made for more dental work. 2nd round of tooth removal.
• I spend the first birthday in 8 years sober and not playing grabass with random people and friends. It wasn't as fun as everyone always told me it used to be.

December 09

• After spending 3 months at my Mom's house and having recurring monthly bills, I find that funds are running low. I go back to work at Estelle's. First two weeks are without any teeth in my head.
• I begin the process of finding couches to crash on while in Chicago. Based on the thought that if I get an apartment I'll end up back in the same routine.
  
• Christmas time and I get my new teeth! Best present I've given myself in decades.
• New Year's Eve off. First time in a decade. Ended up at Double Door and had a great time. Local H and Electric Six played.
  

January 09

• I continue the process of crashing on couches so as to not just stay working the door. I do this because I know I'm a creature of habit and ease.
  

February 09

• I decide that I will be leaving for Vegas during the 3rd week of March. This way I can swing through Austin and see family as I go. Plus I might catch some of SXSW.
• Departure date postponed so Estelle's can have more time to find replacements. Now I'm planning on April 1st to be my last day working the door at Estelle's.

So that's basically all that's been going on with me in a nutshell. I'm sure I've left out a lot of things but these are the important ones.

In other news, I'm slowly putting the word out that I'm looking for a bar management or security management job. I think that might be enough to keep me around Chicago. Keep you around Chicago? Yep. I have no plans set in stone. I'm open to possibilities as long as the possibilities are worthwhile.

I'm glad that I didn't find a sublease or an apartment when I came back. Even though it would make things a lot easier, if I had I'd be stuck. I'm already burnt out on the door again. I'm in need of more stimulation in some form.

Decision 06

Well, some of you might think this post is about the whole Decision '06 Election Ballots... Then again, if you know me, you know it's not.

Halloween was a pretty eventful holiday all this past weekend. Plenty of things were going on all weekend, all the way up to last night. Sadly, the devil never showed up and offered to buy my soul again.. or is that something you can only sell once?

Well, the decision as to whether or not to move to Vegas has been made. It took so long to make the decision that I decided not to go. There's a few factors involved that helped to keep me around. Family, friends, all the bullshit involved to actually move there, and work. Not that I didn't have work waiting for me out there but the work I have here.

So we'll see what the future holds. I'm getting some paperwork together for future endeavors.

Speaking of the future. I put together a "farewell" show at the Double Door for November 28th. Since it's no longer a farewell show it's now going to be a free admission, come get drunk show. Out of all the shows I've ever put together this had to be the hardest one yet. Since it's the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving a lot of the bands I asked to play had someone out of town or they had a show too close to the date to play mine. But I'm still happy with the line up that we have.

So check out these bands and make sure to mark it in your calendars so you can show up. Here's the line up.

Doors open at 8pm and the first band goes on at 9pm.

Making Ghosts

Chapter Seven

Kentucky Shades

Calling All Destroyers

It should be a really good show and I hope everyone can make it.

If not... you suck.

I'm Back.

Got in from Vegas last night around 6:30pm.

Late Tuesday night I started feeling a lot better. What ever was messing with me finally passed it's course. So that left me with just Wednesday night to go out and actually want to do things.

I got a total of 4 pictures from the trip and none of them were of anything really good.

We walked up and down the strip a couple times on Monday and Tuesday, gambled a little, talked to a few people and went to a few of the little clubs that are on the strip. One we went into was Beacher's Rockhouse Bar. It was pretty small but I liked the atmosphere and the distractions. We didn't stay very long because there was only a handful of people in there. All the other big clubs that Travis wanted to take me to were closed through the week or they opened later than we were out.

Tuesday night was a little better than Monday. We went to Gilley's for Cheap Beer and Dirty Women Night. Beers weren't really cheap but the women were definitely dirty. Mud Wrestling Style!! It was almost heaven... Chics wrestling in the mud, a mechanical bull, and the waitresses wore ass less chaps, a thong, and a bikini top.... I was fine with hanging out there all night.... but there were a few other places I wanted to check out.

We stopped by the Pepper Mill which I was told would be a nicer version of Estelle's. It was, it looked nice... we didn't stay.

Then we stopped by a local punk / metal bar called Double Down. Really good place, next time your in Vegas stop by there. It was like a mix of Delilah's and the Double Door but much smaller. When we stopped on Tuesday it was pretty dead. So I talked to the door guy and was bullshitting with him, telling him I was told to come here and asked if it got any busier. He said it probly wouldn't but to come back on Wednesday because they were having a few bands and it should be pretty busy.

Then we took off and went to a place called Freakin Frog. It was suggested by the same person that suggested Double Down. Horrible. We walked in and all the lights in the place were on, half of the wall had been just torn down (literally, dude was standing there with the sledgehammer in his hand) and it was like a Frat Party. I hate frat parties.... I looked at Travis and just nodded towards the door. His argument to stay was the fact that there were a ton of girls there. My argument was I'll hurt a frat boy when he tries to be cool.

Wednesday night we went back to the Double Down to check it out and see how the bands are. The place is pretty cool. They have a shot there called Ass Juice. Sounds pretty damn nasty so I didn't go for it. It's also the only place in Vegas that I found that actually had PBR. All the other places that we went to just looked at me strange because they didn't carry it and some of the waitresses had never even heard of it.

So as I walked into the bar I stopped and was talking to the doorguy that I had met on Tuesday. I was talking to him when out of the corner of the bar a group of people started yelling. "D!, D!!" I looked over and there was a group of guys that hang out at Estelle's. Travis just look at me and said, "Man, no matter where we go someone knows you." I always end up running into people I know where ever I go.

The first couple bands were pretty good and the last one wasn't. Which would explain why everyone left I guess. We left and headed back to the apartment and then I vegged out on the Xbox and Travis went to bed. He had some shit to do at about 7am and it was around 2:30am when we got there. Then Thursday came and it was off to the airport.

The flight was supposed to be at 11:05am but it got pushed back to 12:30. By the time we got off the ground it was about 1:20 and I got into Chicago around 6:30pm (with the time change, it was only a 3 hour flight). Then I hung out at Ivan's for a while, picked up my car, and went to Double Door for the Melvins show. Ended up at Estelle's, talked to a few people and came home.

Overall it was a good vacation. First time I've had that many days off in over 6 or 7 years.

Vegas Update

Made it out here to Vegas on Monday morning. Been running non-stop until today. Actually taking a little time to just sit back and relax at my friends house.

It's not too bad out here, the people are pretty cool, found a few bars and clubs that I would hang out frequently and possibly work at if I do decide to move here.

First few days were pretty rough due to some food I ate before I left Chicago. The effects finally wore off last night. So with one last night in Vegas let's see what all happens.

I'll be back in Chicago Thursday afternoon if all goes well. Then it's one last night before going back to the normal schedule until December hits.

So if your out and about in Chicago tomorrow night stop by the Double Door for the Melvins show. I'll be there.